If the ugliness in Washington left a bad taste in your mouth, we have the perfect palate cleanser.

The panda cam at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, which was shutdown along with the federal government, is back online. It means you can once again ogle the now eight-week-old cub and her mother, Mei Xiang.

"Since the panda cams went dark, the cub has grown and passed several developmental milestones. She weighs 5 pounds (2.557 kilograms), up from 3.07 pounds (1.39 kilograms) at her veterinary exam Sept. 26. She also has partially opened her eyes. Keepers noticed that her right eye had started to open Oct. 4. By Oct. 11 both her eyes had partially opened. Her ears are also fully open and she now reacts to the noises she hears in the panda house."

The cam is here. We took a look a little while ago and the cub — which will not be named until it is 100 days old — was sleeping.